As America commemorates the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we are proud to protect land that honors the heroes of United Airlines Flight 93, which went down near Shanksville, Pa. Together with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, we just announced the conservation of a 57-acre property within the Flight 93 Memorial boundary.

Forty passengers, and a flight crew, lost their lives on Flight 93, which had been hijacked by terrorists. Passengers fought back, preventing the terrorists from reaching their intended target—possibly the White House—on Sept. 11, 2001. Working on behalf of the National Park Service and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Fund has partnered with willing landowners over time to protect more than 600 acres in the Flight 93 area, preserving much of the hallowed ground and the pastoral views seen from it.

Congress authorized creation of the Flight 93 National Memorial nine years ago. Public and private partners have provided a significant portion of funding for the future park. Dedication of Phase I of the Memorial and a commemoration event will be held at the crash site near Shanksville during the 10th anniversary weekend.

Read more about this project here.

Green Light: Our Solar Energy Investment Takes Off

At The Conservation Fund, we combine a passion for conservation with an entrepreneurial spirit to protect your favorite places before they become just a memory. With funding from foundations and socially motivated investors, for example, our Natural Capital Investment Fund supplies loans and business development services that allow “green” entrepreneurs to build enterprises that make a difference with every kilowatt hour, paddle stroke and bushel they produce.

Take FLS Energy. Three parents hatched the idea for this solar energy company while volunteering at their kids’ Asheville, N.C., school, in 2005. Within weeks, the trio roughed out a four-page business plan. They set up shop in the old boiler room of a former manufacturing plant, where the floor was dirt and a 55-gallon drum, topped by plywood, served as a table.

They needed capital. NCIF stepped in to provide flexible financing and technical assistance that helped these entrepreneurs set goals and hire staff—long before a commercial bank would have supported them.

Our willingness to take a risk paid off. In just six years, fast-growing FLS Energy has hired 80 people. The company has injected a homegrown boost into Western North Carolina’s economy—all while building a greener future for the rest of us, thanks to the company’s non-polluting solar thermal systems, which heat water for commercial clients. Across the rural Southeast, in areas of need, we are creating jobs, improving communities and protecting our environment with investments just like this.

Learn more about FLS and other NCIF portfolio companies.